There were some nice characters in this book, and I liked the slow development of the relationship between Rosabelle and her future husband.
But there was also an issue for me that occasionally crops up in D.E. Stevenson's books, and that is her notion that people are BORN unchangeably good or bad. In this story, Jay is an orphan taken in by the Shaw family, and he brings nothing but trouble and deceit. As he grows up he seems to improve, but this is only a façade for him to get what he wants. If that was all, he would just be your token bad guy, but Stevenson ties some of his badness to the fact that he is "dark" and "foreign," so to a modern reader there is that racist vibe. Also she has one of her characters suggest that if Jay ever had children, they would unfailingly be just as evil as he is, right from the cradle. I don't buy that. It kind of negates free will.

But the story of Rosabelle Shaw herself is nice. It begins with her parents in a fairly cute courtship, then they settle down to life on a Scottish farm and begin a family. Rosabelle grows up with two younger siblings and Jay. When she gets into her late teens, she becomes fascinated by Jay's mesmerizing personality. But then there's Tom, the splendid neighbor man whom she "likes" but doesn't "love." (Hint, hint, he's the best choice.) I won't go into any spoilers, but her story ends well, albeit in the midst of World War I. There is some decent commentary toward the end about how that war changed society, including women, clothing, attitudes, and classes of people.

(This is also why the cover is wildly inaccurate--we're talking Edwardian era, not 70s!!!!)

Incidentally I believe this is my last D.E. Stevenson, I've now read all her published novels!!!! There are definitely some of her books that I will be revisiting. She has a lovely narrative style that makes you just want to keep turning pages! Seriously, if I don't have distractions I can easily finish a book of hers in a day. I highly recommend her as an author: just read some reviews and pick a good one (because there were a few duds). But the ones that were good were really good. ( )